Sharpening tool



July 23, 1957 H. A. TRIEBES ETL SHRPENING TOOL Filed nec.. 29, 1955 INVENTOR.

ATTY.

United States Patent i 2,800,040 `SHARPENING TOOL Herman A. Triebes and Helen E. Triebes, Forest Park, Ill. Application December 29, 1953,.SerialNo. 400,946

4 Claims. (Cl. 76-82.2)

This invention relates, Iin general, 4to sharpening tools, `and is particularly .concerned =with a Atool advantageously ,applicable ,to sharpen cutting edges such as, for example, `ouascissors.

-Otherwise stated, lthe invention is embodied in a sharp- .ening tool for sharpening .cutting edges of scissors and .the like and which is of relatively small dimension vand particularly adaptable 'for employment 'by domestic users such as, for example, the housewife, Vfor the purposes intended.

An 'important object and accomplishment of the invention is .to provide a sharpening Vtool as hereinbefore described and which :has a plurality of sharpening edges which respectively may be employed in succession, `thus making the contemplated sharpening tool conducive to vlong life without `requirement of repair or replacement.

A lfurther object and accomplishment of the invention is to provide va -sharpening tool for -scissors and the like .which may conveniently be used bythe :housewife -withou-t danger of .injury tothe housewife in effecting the sharpening operation.

Another important object and accomplishment vof the invention is to provide a simple sharpening tool Lhaving relatively few parts and which is so constructed to providea simple operation to effect the sharpening of cutting edges as hereinbefore described.

An ancillary object and accomplishment of the invention is to provide a new and improved sharpening `tool for cutting edges such as, for example, scissors yand the like, .and which is adapted to be economically 'manufactured and which is so designed as to permit the manufacture and assembly thereof in accordance with present day large scale mass production methods of construction and assembly.

The invention seeks, as a final object andaccomplishment, to providea sharpening tool as .contemplated herein and characterized by an arrangement of parts Jto more advantageously and satisfactorily perform the functions required .of it and Iadapted to vprovide a compact unit which will successfully combine the factors of structural simplicity and durability, and yet be economical to manufacture.

Additional objects, features 4and yadvantages of the invention disclosed herein will be apparent to persons skilled inthe art after the con-struction and operation are understood from the within description.

It is preferred to ac complish ,the various objects of this invention and to practice the same in ysubstantially the manner as more fully .described herein, and as more particularly pointed .out in the appended claims.

Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof and wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the sharpening tool embodying the features of the present invention, this View illustrating the sharpening tool in its operative position with respect to a cutting edge of a scissors;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view yof the sharpening tool '2,800,040 Patented July V23, 1957 depicted in Fig. l, and being taken substantially on Ythe plane of the line 2-2fin Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view vof the `sharpening tool depic-ted in Figs. l and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of a modified form of sharpening Vtool having the same operating characteristics as the sharpening tool depicted in Fig. 1.

The drawings are to be understood to be more or less of a schematic character for the purpose of illustrating and disclosing preferred forms of the improvements contemplated herein, and in the drawings like reference characters identify the same -partsin the several views.

As a possible example of advantageous employmentI of the contemplated sharpening tool, reference is made to the drawings, particularly Fig. l, wherein there is illustrated the sharpening tool with which the present invention is particularly concerned and as being designated in its entirety by the numeral 20, and as being operatively associated, for example, with a conventional scissors vdesignated in its entirety by the letter A.

The illustrated scissors A may comprise two arms 20 and 21 pivotally interconnected by a pivot pin 22, the arm 20 at one end thereof being provided with a nger hole 23 and the arm 21 at one end thereof being provided with a finger hold 24, yand the cutting arms 20 and 21 being respectively provided with cutting edges 25 'and 26.

In the exemplaryembodiment of the invention depicted in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the sharpening tool 20 contemplated Vby the present invention comprises, in general, a unitary body 30 bent and formed to define a handle v31 and a base 32, a cutting element 35 of a suitable metal removably carried by the handle 31 by means of a'bolt 36 having a nut 37, and said cutting element 35 being formed, for example, hexagonal to define a plurality of cutting surfaces respectively indicated as at 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 45, each of which provides two cutting edges.

As may best be seen in Fig. 3, the body 30 is formed of a relatively thin metal blank to define the shape as shown and to provide the handle portion 31 and the base 32. The body 30 is provided with an aperture 50 through which portions of the bolt 36 project when the cutting element 35 is mounted in its operative position on the body 30 as shown in Figs. 1 Iand 2.

Integral with the handle portion 30 there is lprovided aA bent iiauge 52 portions of which are adapted for intimate engagement with a cutting surface such as indicated .by the numeral 44 in Fig. 2, thereby to maintain the cutting element 35 in proper association and alignment so as to bring a cutting edge 54 into proper contact with the 'cutting edge 26 (Fig. 2) of the scissors A.

Attention is invited to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherein the 'base 32 is shown provided with an integral liange 56 adapted to act as a guide to facilitate proper alignment of the cutting edge 54 of the cutting element 35 with -respect to the cutting edge 26 of the scissors A.

The cutting element 35 is provided with cutting surfaces 40,41, '42, 43, 44 and 45. Because each 0f these surfaces is identical in construction, it is deemed suliicient to describe only one of them. In this connection, attention is invited to the cutting surface 40 which defines two cutting edges respectively indicated at 54 and 55. ,After the cutting edge 54 has been used for some time and it is ,determined that it is dull, the device may be either rotated to present a new cutting edge or maybe hopped over whereby a new series of cutting edges is provided. Otherwise stated, the hexagonal shaped cutting element 35 presents six cutting surfaces, each of which provides two cutting edges making a total of twelve cutting edges in all.

Attention is now invited to Fig. 4, wherein a modified form of cutting element is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 60, this cutting element 60 being removably and rotatably mounted on a body indicated in its entirety by the numeral 61 and having substantially the same construction as that disclosed with respect to the body shown in Fig. 1. Y

The cutting element 60 presents cutting surfaces" 62, 63, 64 and 65, each of whichdefines cuttingedges operable asrhereinbefore described with'respect to the cutting edges of the cutting element 35. s

In operation, the user'will grip the handle 31 between the firstfinger B and the thumb C and place Vthe body 30 so that the fiange 56 is in sliding engagement with a rvside of the arm 21 adjacent the cutting edge 26 of Vthe scissors A. The cutting edge 54 will then be in proper presentation with respect to the cutting edge 26 of the scissorsv and upon manual drawing of the device over the cutting edge 26 sufficient metal will be scraped therefrom `to provide a sharpening effect to tne cutting edge 26 of the scissors A. This drawing of the deviceover the cutting Vedge of the scissors may oe done several times depending upon Vthe, dullness of the cutting edge 26. The same operation may be repeated with respect to the cutting Vedge 25 of the leg 2f) of the scissors A,

After repeated sharpening operations, the cutting edge 54 may become dull to a degree ywhere effective sharpening operations can no longer be accomplished. A new cutting edge may be advantageously presented by merely loosening the nut 37 so that the cutting tool can be rotated sufficiently to present a new cutting edge. After all the cutting edges have been used on one side of the cutting element 35, the cutting element may be removed from the body and flopped over to present a new series of cutting edges.

Because of its simple construction, the sharpening tool contemplated herein is economical to manufacture and is readily, adaptable to mass production manufacturing methods. Y c

From the foregoing disclosure, it may be observed that we have provided a sharpening tool which efficiently fulfills the objects as hereinbefore set forth and which prosharpened and operableas a guide for said `sharpening tool.

2. A sharpening tool comprising a hexagonally-shaped cutting element, each surface dened by said hexagonally- Vshaped cutting element defining two cutting edges one of which being adapted for engagement with a cutting edge of a tool to be sharpened, a support for said cutting element formed to define two legs angularly disposed with respect to each other, one of said legs defining a finger grip and the other of said legs defining a base, screw threaded means for adjustably mounting said cutting element on said leg defining said finger grip so that various of the plurality of cutting edges may be selectively placed in cutting position, and guide means forming a partof said other leg and adapted for engagement with the cutting edge of the tool to be sharpened.

3. A sharpening tool adapted for sharpening a cutting edge of a tool, said sharpening toolcomprising a body formed to define a base having an integral leg bent angularly with respect to said base to define a finger grip, a cutting element having a plurality of cutting edges one of which being presented for engagement with the cutting edge tof said tool, flange means formed integral with vides numerous advantages which may be summarized as While we have illustrated preferred Vembodiments of Vour invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and we do not wishto be limited to the precise details of construction set forth but wish to availourselves of all changes within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim: l. A sharpening tool adapted for Sharpening a cutting edge of a tool, said sharpening tool comprising a body formed to define a base having an integral leg bent angularly with respect to said base to define a finger grip, a

Ycutting element adjustably mounted on said leg and having a plurality of cutting edges selectively placed in cutting position and one of which being presented for engagement with the cutting edge of said tool, flange means formed integral with said leg and adapted for engagement with portions of said cutting element to maintain said cutting element in proper alignment with respect to said leg, and flange means integral with said base adapted for sliding engagement with said cutting edge of said tool being Y said leg, screw threaded means normally passing through the central regions of said cutting element and said leg, said screw threaded means cooperating with said flange means to adjustably mount said cutting element on said leg and to maintain said cutting element in proper alignment with respect to said leg, and flange means integral with said base adapted for sliding engagement with said cutting edge of said tool being sharpened and operable as a guide for said sharpening tool.

4. A sharpening tool comprising a hexagonally-shaped cutting element, each surface defined by said hexagonallyshaped cutting element defining two cutting edges one of which being adapted for engagement with a cutting edge of a tool to be sharpened, a support for said cutting clement formed of a relatively thin metal blank to define two legs angularly disposed Vwith respect to each other, one of said legs defining a finger grip and the other of said legs defining a base, screw threaded means normally passing through the central regions of said cutting element and said finger grip leg to adjustably mount said cutting element on said leg, said screw threaded means being removable whereby a new cutting surface of said cutting element may be selectively placed in cutting position on said finger grip leg, ange means forming a part of said finger grip leg and normally in contact with one surface of said cutting element and cooperating with said screw threaded means to maintain said cutting element in proper alignment with respect to said finger grip leg, and guide means forming a part of said base leg and adapted for engagement with the cutting edge of the tool to be sharpened.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED vSTATES PATENTS 51,483 Russ Dec. 12, 1865 549,228 Chain NOV. 5, 1895 1,025,412 Mallette May 7, 1912 2,581,609 Small Jan. 8, 1952 2,664,875. Koch Ian. 5, 1954 f FOREIGN PATENTS Y 16,752 Great Britain July 21, 1911 237,697 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1925 

